


An Intervention

by fanspiration



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: M/M, Phan - Freeform, author has no idea where this is going, author has no regrets, friends at first, might be a little slow, not sorry, school!au, teen!AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-11
Updated: 2015-04-18
Packaged: 2018-03-22 09:48:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3724381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanspiration/pseuds/fanspiration
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For Dan, getting beaten up on his first day of school was nothing new. It had happened often - every time he’d moved schools, in fact. He wasn’t sure why. Maybe he just had one of those faces, the kind that made people think, ‘he’s weak and helpless, he’ll be easy to pick on.’</p>
<p>What he wasn’t used to, though, was someone stepping in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so I've said this is for general audiences, but I may have to change it to teen later on because I'm not really sure where this is going! Just to be safe XD

For Dan, getting beaten up on his first day of school was nothing new. It had happened often - every time he’d moved schools, in fact. He wasn’t sure why. Maybe he just had one of those faces, the kind that made people think, ‘he’s weak and helpless, he’ll be easy to pick on.’ 

And they were right. Dan was an easy target. He tried to avoid confrontations as much as possible, and had no ability to stand up for himself, so it was wasn’t hard for people to get at him. 

What he wasn’t used to, though, was someone stepping in, especially when he didn’t really know anyone yet. Most people had avoided him like the plague, and the only person who’d spoken to him throughout the day was a boy called PJ, who he’d sat next to in Maths. 

Dan peered up from where he was curled on the floor, eye already swelling, to see a tall dark-haired boy, glaring menacingly at the boy who’d thrown the first punch. “What is your problem?” His helper snarled, grabbing the front of the smaller boy’s jacket. 

“Just putting the new boy in his place, Lester,” the other boy spat back, seeming unphased by the fact he was practically being lifted off his feet. 

“Yeah, it’s a shame no one’s done that with you, huh?” Dan’s saviour released the smaller boy suddenly, dropping him to the floor. The bully glanced around at his friends and stood up, brushing himself off angrily. Then, they were gone. 

Dan gingerly prodded his eye, trying to see how bad it was, when a warm hand gently pulled his own away, and he was suddenly face to face with the boy who had helped him. “Don’t touch it,” the boy muttered softly. “That’ll just make it hurt even more.” He moved away and stood, offering Dan his hand. “I’m Phil, Phil Lester.” 

“Dan Howell,” Dan said quietly, pulling himself up. “And, uh, thanks.” He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. 

Phil chuckled, seeming much less terrifying now. “It’s alright. Bullies like Carter... They just don’t learn. And the teachers don’t give two shits, so they won’t be stopped any time soon.” He shrugged, putting his hands in his jean pockets and watched Dan with twinkling blue eyes. Dan felt himself going red at the attention, and cursed his awkwardness. 

“So, I’ll see you around, yeah?” He said, breaking the silence. “I’ve got to get home, my mum will be wondering where I am...” 

Phil nodded, understanding. “Sure, me too.” He paused, frowning at his choice of words. “I mean, my mum, not your mum.” 

Dan laughed, turning to walk away. “Bye, Phil,” he called over his shoulder, then began down the road towards his house. 

“Wait,” he heard Phil call, and looked back to see the other boy jogging after him. “Is this the way to your house?” 

Dan nodded, slightly confused. “Yeah, why?”

“Me too! What road do you live on?” Phil asked eagerly, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He really was a completely different boy from the one who had stood up for him just 10 minutes earlier. 

“Um, I think it’s Windsor Road?” He replied uncertainly, trying to remember their new address. 

“No way!” Phil exclaimed, eyes lighting up. “I live, like, two minutes from there! Can I walk with you?” His cheeks immediately went pink as he realised what he’d said. “Only if you want to, obviously...” 

Dan nodded keenly. “Yes, please. I can just about remember the way, but I’m bound to get lost somewhere or another. Besides,” he continued, “it’d be great to have some company.” 

The two boys began to walk in silence, until Phil asked, “So, what brings you to Manchester?” 

The other boy shrugged. “Mum thought it’d be a nice change, I guess. She’s been wanting to move for a while, but the opportunity never really came. Then, her company was looking for someone to transfer to their office in Manchester. She applied for the job, and got it, so...” He grinned up at Phil, who was at least two inches taller than him. 

“And, uh, is it just- you and your mum?” Phil asked awkwardly, not wanting to upset Dan. 

Dan nodded, looking down. “Yeah... He was a bit mental, so mum left him a few years ago and we moved. We’ve moved quite a lot, actually, especially since then.” He added, meeting Phil’s gaze once more. “This is my fifth school over all.” 

Phil’s eyes widened in surprise. “Fifth?! Jeez. That’s a lot.” He wondered what Dan meant when he said he was ‘a bit mental’, but kept his curiosity to himself. They barely knew each other, no need to spill their life stories. 

“What about you? Were you born here?” Dan asked, interrupting Phil’s thoughts. 

“I’m Manchester through and through, me,” Phil told him proudly, making him chuckle. "I live with my mum, dad and older brother, not too far from you. I've lived in the same house all my life, which is a bit boring but never mind, that's life." 

"Bit more normal than me." He laughed, but Phil caught a hint of bitterness in his voice. 

"Normal is boring though! It's better not to be normal and to be interesting." 

Dan smiled at him, wincing when his eye twinged, and they settled once more into an easy silence. 

Time passed quickly, and all too soon they had arrived at Dan’s house. Dan spoke before they reached the door. “Well, thanks for helping me earlier. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?” 

Phil nodded in agreement, going to walk off, then stopped. “Do you want to maybe exchange numbers or something? I mean, we could walk to school together or something...” He blushed slightly, feeling stupid at how eager he had sounded. “Or, y’know, we could just see each other in class I guess.” 

But Dan already had his phone in his hand. “No, that’s... That’s a great idea.” He handed his phone to the taller boy, who quickly inputted his number. “I’ll see you at 8 tomorrow then?” 

“Yeah, ok,” Phil grinned at him, then gave an awkward wave. “I better be off now. Oh, and make sure you put some ice on your eye.” 

“Thank you,” Dan smiled gratefully. “And I mean it. For everything. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He turned and unlocked his front door, giving a final wave before disappearing into his house. 

“Dan! Is that you?” His mum’s voice called from her bedroom upstairs. 

“No, mum, it’s a burglar who just happens to have the keys,” he replied sarcastically, dumping his schoolbag on the hallway floor. 

“Where on earth have you- oh, honey,” she said sadly, appearing at the top of the stairs. “How bad was it? And on your first day?” She came down the stairs, gently placing her hand on his face. “I;m sorry, I wouldn’t have brought you here if I knew things like this would happen.” 

Dan shook his head, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek. “Don’t worry about it, it wasn’t that bad. It probably looks worse than it is. Besides,” he grinned, remembering Phil. “Someone stepped in and helped me out. Looks like I’ve made a friend already.” 

His mum smiled at him for a moment, then remembered his black eye. “Quick, get some ice on that face!” 

Dan chuckled, then felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled out and glanced it, his smile widening further when he read the contents.

 

from: Phil ^-^ 

_Hey Dan :P_


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ENJOY!! Sorry it took me a while to write but I'm revising for exams at the moment D:

Phil checked his watch again, trying not to get impatient. It was only two minutes past 8, so Dan wasn’t exactly late, but for some reason he was excited at the thought of seeing the other boy again. It was stupid, really, but nevertheless... 

“Phil!” Dan called from behind him, interrupting his thoughts. His black eye looked painful, but the swelling was considerably less than the day before. “Sorry I’m a bit late, I couldn’t find my hoodie,” he admitted sheepishly, smoothing down his fringe. “Anyway, shall we go?” 

Phil nodded, and the pair set off towards school. 

“Did you have a good evening?” Phil asked, cringing inwardly at how awkward he’d sounded. 

Dan didn’t seem to notice. “Yeah, not bad. Mum gave me a lecture about not getting into fights, like I do it on purpose...” He laughed ironically. “Anyway, yeah. It was alright, thanks. What about you?” 

Phil shrugged. “Pretty normal, I guess. I did homework for the whole night, pretty much.” 

Dan nodded understandingly, and for the first time Phil noticed what he was wearing: black skinny jeans, black hoodie, and a Muse t-shirt. “You like Muse?!” He asked, gesturing to the shirt. 

“Oh, uh, yeah,” Dan answered sheepishly. “They’re great. Do you?”

 “Matt Belamy is pretty much my God!” The taller boy exclaimed enthusiastically. “His vocals are just...” He trailed off, trying to find a word that would do him justice. 

“...brilliant,” Dan finished for him, grinning widely. “Wow. Hardly anyone’s heard of Muse these days.” 

Phil nodded in agreement. “I know, it sucks.” 

They walked in silence once more, until Dan asked curiously, “What lessons do you have today? I don’t know anyone in my classes really, apart from someone called PJ who I sat next to in Maths...” He trailed off, awaiting the other boy’s answer. 

“Umm... I have double English with Mrs. Edwards, Biology with Dr. Sommers, Religious Studies with Mr Johnson and German with Frau Glucker. What about you?” 

Dan pulled out his timetable, then grinned. “I’m in all of those lessons, apart from German. I opted to do French,” he explained as they arrived at the school gates. “I guess I’ll see you after registration.” 

Phil nodded and waved, walking towards the other end of the school. Dan began making his way to his tutor room, pausing every so often to check he was in fact going the right way. He eventually found it, and slipped through the door, grateful that the teacher was not yet there. He quickly took his seat as Miss Raymond walked through the door, calling for the class’s attention. 

“Good morning, boys and girls!” She exclaimed enthusiastically, causing several students to groan. As she waited for the computer to load, the chatter around him began to rise once more. 

“Oi, Howell!” 

Dan heard a whisper behind him, but when he turned he couldn’t see the speaker. He frowned, turning back to the front of the class. 

“Howell!” It came again, but this time he ignored it. 

“Dan!” Someone called, and he exasperatedly looked behind him, to see that half of the boys who had beaten him up the night before were staring at him. 

“Problem?” One of them snarled. Dan shook his head quickly. “What ‘appened to your face, hey mate?” The same boy asked, grinning at him nastily. 

“Settle down, class. Thank you. Now...” She began to call out the register, and Dan quickly turned in his seat to face her, glad of the interruption. Next time, he thought, he wouldn’t be so lucky. 

He managed to last the entire registration period with no more incidents, however, and hurried off to English, pleased at the prospect of spending the lesson with Phil. Consulting his map, he was able to find his way to the classroom reasonably easily, and when he entered he was glad to see Phil already seated at the front of the class. 

“Dan!” He exclaimed, noticing the shorter boy stood in the doorway. “I’ve got you a desk.” 

Dan smiled at him gratefully, and sat down in the seat next to him. “Thank you,” he said quietly as the teacher walked in. Phil returned his grin. 

The lesson passed slowly, but Dan didn’t mind. He was glad he had Phil to help him through it, as he had been quite behind at his previous school, and it seemed he was even further behind here. Phil explained the main points to him though, so he was able to struggle through. 

Biology passed the same as English had, and soon it was time for lunch. Phil was buying from the canteen, telling Dan to wait by one of the tables. However, as he waited, he felt someone move to stand behind him. He slowly turned his head, prepared for the worst, but grinned in relief when he saw it was PJ. 

“Hey, Dan! You look a bit lost,” he said, chuckling. “Do you want to sit with us?” He gestured to the table next to where they were stood, containing several other boys and a couple of girls. They all smiled at him. 

Dan turned back to PJ. “I don’t know... Phil told me to-“ 

“Come on, man! They’re a cool bunch of people, you’ll really like them.” 

Dan looked around, frantically searching the crowd for Phil’s light blue hoodie, but had no luck. He sighed, giving in, and took a seat between PJ and a blonde, friendly looking girl. 

“Hey, I’m Louise,” she said, offering him a grin - which he did not return. He was too busy looking out for Phil, feeling bad for deserting his new friend. Luckily, Louise didn’t seem to mind, and continued eating her lunch. 

“Dan?” 

His head shot up, hearing Phil’s voice. “Phil! I’m sorry, I was waiting and PJ came over and-“ 

But Phil didn’t appear to be listening. “Hey, Peej, see you’ve met Dan. I was going to bring him over here once I’d got lunch, but seems you beat me too it! Hey Louise, Chris, Tyler, Caspar, Alfie, Zoe.” He greeted the others around the table before sitting down opposite Dan, smiling widely at him. 

“Welcome to the gang.”


End file.
